


How Far We've Come

by spacedragonarmada



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-29 17:54:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21414256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacedragonarmada/pseuds/spacedragonarmada
Summary: Everyone's changed since Platinum Jail, some moreso than others. Koujaku decides it's finally time to open up about his past to his boyfriends.
Relationships: Koujaku/Mink/Noiz
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	How Far We've Come

**Author's Note:**

> Gift fic for Sappho. Thankyou for requesting this piece, it was a fun challenge to keep it in-character and believable :)

If you told Koujaku that he'd end up dating not one, but two guys at the same time, he would have laughed and patting your shoulder has he commended you on your joke.

But yet, here he was, dating two guys, currently in bed with said guys with the sunrise peeking through the curtains, resting his weary head on the arm of one, while the other splayed himself haphazardly across the bed, kicking off the covers in the process and snoring much too loudly than should ever been deemed tolerable. Even so, he pleasantly surprised at how content he was with the state of things.

He hadn’t always been content.

It had been a few years now since the Platinum Jail Incident...

Koujaku hadn’t considered himself a gay man, but then again, for all the woman he dated, all the woman he slept around with, he couldn’t deny the way his heart would flutter or how quickly he grew flustered around a particular companion.

Okay so perhaps he was a little gay.

A lotta gay.

It was hard to stay upset with the revelation of just how badly he'd wanted Aoba for himself when Aoba looked so genuinely happy with his partner. He’d come to accept he’d never be that for Aoba.

Which was fine.

They still talked and met up, he still gate crashed every once in a while to sample Tae’s incredible cooking. But he’d made his own way now.

Admittedly hooking up with Noiz and Mink of all people came as a surprise. They’d joked they were the crew of RBA or Rejected-by-Aoba, minus Clear cause honestly who the hell even knew where that strange robotic labcoat of a man wandered off too. Joked that maybe they should all just hook up instead, nothing could have prepared Koujaku for his joke to be taken seriously.

Admittedly none of them were particularly _good_ at the boyfriend thing.

It was a fancy title for a group of idiots who didn’t really know what they were doing but were doing it anyway.

After a few months of this, Koujaku had unintentionally found himself taking the lead, coaxing out conversation, and generally being more supportive and interested in his companions’ lives.

Perhaps most surprising was when he caught himself asking Aoba about dating advice, and perhaps it was only a matter of time until Aoba caught on and pressed him for more. Koujaku hadn’t quite expected to be so flustered talking about his new 'boyfriends' or the way Aoba broke down in fits of laughter when he retold the story of the RBA club.

Tae hadn’t found it so funny and promptly scolded them both for making such a racket so late at night.

As embarrassing as it had been, Koujaku found his efforts had slowly begun to pay off. Over the years the trio had slowly begun to change.

Mink perhaps was the one who changed the most, a small change in personality, but a massive change in appearance. The Scratch leader foregoing his characteristic deadlocks and heavy black coat, and even the shackles around his neck and wrists from his captive time, to an almost softer, more respectable appearance.

His dreads now unbound, his hair flowed around his shoulders accompanied by a single braid with native beads and feathers, neatly maintained by Koujaku at Mink’s personal request. He didn’t so much speak of his noticeable change and no one brought it up again after Mink had returned from a trip to god knows where when all he replied with was ‘soul searching.’

Tori and Beni had even managed to sort whatever tension had been between the AllMates much to Mink’s relief.

Noiz hadn’t changed overly much appearance-wise, but at least in personality he seemed to be taking things more seriously. While he and Koujaku still went at each other’s throats from time to time, it was more jovial than malicious, and Noiz seemed to know when enough was enough, a fact that, when it had been pointed out, made the smaller male flush and swiftly try to deny it.

He still couldn’t feel much, if anything, physically, but his brain was putting his genius to use on other things in addition to hacking, he could tell the mood of his partners with a few quick glances.

All in all they all seemed to be growing, as individuals, and as partners.

Still, it would be a lie to say he wasn’t a little nervous about today. He'd invited Mink and Noiz had more or less invited himself on a short, but very important trip. Today he wanted to share his own progress and trust in the two he’d grown to care so much about.

It was time to lift the burden of his past.

***

Later that morning Koujaku lead them up a winding path that ended with the lone grave he wished to visit, and, kneeling before it, he began to pay his respects.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves and songbirds chirped their early morning symphony as silence befell the trio.

Koujaku didn’t quite know what to expect. Normally he'd make this journey alone, wallow in his grief alone, bear the burden of his pain alone, yet this time was different. This time a little voice inside compelled him to bring his boyfriends along. For what reason he couldn’t be sure, he didn’t out it past them, well, Noiz in particular, to miss the point of this endeavor, and while he had pondered 'forgetting' to invite him, he was glad the blonde was there.

Mink’s eyes softened much as they did when he talked about his past, of the life before and the comfort of nature as he watched Koujaku offer prayer to those passed. While he knew not of the tortures that plague the seemingly stable man, he felt a pang of honour to be here for him in such a vulnerable time.

Noiz on the other hand shifted somewhat uncomfortably by the show of vulnerability. He could always trust Koujaku to meet him half way, match him blow for blow, they were evenly matched in their stubbornness and power, and he took pride in riling him up and getting to play the part of a spoilt brat and partner, but this, this opened something Noiz couldn’t quite process.

His reception for pain had by no means improved but he was intelligent enough to recognize the signs in others, particularly in Koujaku and Mink now that he’d begun to look.

Despite the small smile that graced his lips he knew Koujaku was suffering and he didn’t like that. No one was allowed to make Koujaku sad or pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration or pain than Noiz. And sometimes Mink. But that was once in a blue moon occurrence these days now that the taller man had begun to let people into his life again.

Still, despite his frustration from a lack of really knowing what to do or why this grave was so important but still wanting to do _something_, he tried his best to be the supportive boyfriend Koujaku always was to them.

"I don’t like to wallow in sadness, they're gone, I have to move on." His voice was quite, almost lost on the cool breeze that ruffled their clothes and eased the heat of the rising sun, but the way Koujaku’s lip twitched told him his words were heard loud and clear.

Mink said nothing, silently watching, waiting for Koujaku to speak first.

Another few moments passed before Koujaku finally found his voice.

"This is the grave of my mother.”

So he told them. About his father, about Ryuuhou, about the tattoos that graced his skin, inked against his will. About the warning he didn’t fully understand and by the time he did it was too late. The tattoos a method of control, fueled by his anger, how they burned his skin and how the younger him lost control and went on a killing rampage. Murdering his beloved mother in the process.

About how he couldn’t bring himself to kill himself despite what he’d done and his fear of every losing himself again like he’d almost done in Platinum Jail.

By the end that anxiety that knotted in his gut seemed to wash away, he was human and he had flaws, just like the men standing beside him now, looking on at him with eyes undiscriminating despite his confession, eyes understanding.

To his surprise Mink was the first to speak.

"You carry your burden well, Red, but perhaps it is time you rely on us more too." If Mink’s words of comfort didn’t knock the wind from him, Noiz’s certainly delivered the knockout blow.

"Honestly I don’t know what you're worried about, you've put up with our shit for years and I purposefully provoke you because it's fucking hilarious. You're the same as ever just... more mushy after this."

At some point between Noiz’s 'support' and Koujaku promptly scolding him for his language and blow to his manliness, Mink had slipped away, down the path only a short way before spotting what he was after.

The bickering couple stopped as Mink’s tall frame passed them by and he knelt before the grave to place a small bundle of flowers.

"I'll bring something nicer next year."

Noiz kicked a pebble beneath his feet as their bickering was promptly dropped as Koujaku’s responsive grin could have melted a glacier with how bright it was. Only adding to Noiz’s discomfort was the way Koujaku then pulled out his own, carefully prepared offering, before placing it in front of the headstone too.

He was torn between the uncomfortable vulnerability and a slight amount of bitterness at Mink invoking such a warming reaction from Koujaku that frustration finally won out and the younger male skidded back down the path.

The remaining men exchanged a look without words at the other’s sudden outburst but soon deemed it insignificant, perhaps it was not yet time for Noiz to face such emotions and Koujaku couldn’t blame him. If they’d lasted this long, surely they’d be stubborn enough to figure it out eventually.

The surprises however were unending as Noiz soon came back, knees dirty and a small speck of blood on his fingers from uprooting the flower he now placed next to the other offerings.

While he didn’t voice it the intention was clear and Koujaku couldn’t help but smile fondly while Mink silently chastised the careless retrieval of the flower.

Before an uncomfortable silence could wash over Noiz, Mink broke the silence.

“Let’s head back, the Maniac hasn’t stopped annoying me to make Plum filled pork loin with dumplings.”

“I’m not a Maniac.” Noiz pouted but once more didn’t scold the other for the nickname, promptly shoving his hands in his pockets to hide how giddy he was that Mink was finally going to cook his favourite dish again.

It would be nice not having to cook tonight, Koujaku thought to himself as he brushed back the long fringe that usually covered the tattooed side of his face, but perhaps he’d sit here a little longer and bask in the warmth that pooled in his gut for his supportive mess of boyfriends.

“Go on ahead; I just need a few more minutes.”

“Suit yourself, but don’t blame me if he eats it all.”

Koujaku couldn’t help an affectionate laugh at that.

Honestly how did he get so lucky?


End file.
